Lord Redesdale: Idea of EVs as battery storage is “complete crap”

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EMA chief Lord Redesdale: Unconvinced about electric vehicles as energy storage

Energy Managers Association chief Rupert Redesdale has suggested the idea of electric vehicles acting as meaningful energy storage is “complete crap”.

Speaking at the EMA’s Emex event in London, Redesdale said that his view was based on his own experience as an EV owner.

“I have an EV. It’s great. But I spend three hours charging it and then have to fight people for the [out of home] charging points. Why would I let anyone drain it [to provide grid balancing services]?”

“EVs being a source of standby [power] is simply not going to happen,” said Redesdale.

Speaking at the same session, Elexon’s John Lucas said he held a “slightly less sceptical view”.

“Having some level of controllability [over charging] so that they are not all charged over the peak demand period is key. It will be vital to the EV rollout.

“I do see clear opportunities for vehicle-to-grid [services],” said Lucas. “It is definitely part of the picture in my view.”

EV manufacturers such as Nissan have suggested that EV owners could earn up to €1,300 per annum by allowing third parties to control their EV batteries when parked and connected to a charger.

Numerous other firms are positioning to act as a form of aggregator via electric vehicle batteries and charge points.

Related stories:

Carmakers become aggregators as DNOs fear overnight EV boom

Nissan: Carmaker signals roadmap to energy services company

Flexitricity chief: UK has enough spare power electrify every car on the road

Government finds £20m for vehicle to grid development

Greg Clark calls for automakers and energy industry to collaborate on battery storage

Nissan and Eaton to roll out commercial scale battery in 2017

Tesla: People don’t engage with energy bills, but they will have to

Redesdale bets on brownouts or blackouts by year end

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Good on you to speak the truth.

    I agree at the moment the infrastructure would not allow this small feed back into the grid, there is a place for battery storage over one megawatt though.

  2. Disappointing that someone in this position within the industry is sceptical. There are many challenges to us bringing in widespread EV/PHEV vehicles but, given the average car commute and the fact not everyone is a Lord Redesdale (e.g. Lady Redesdale, or his gardener) the ability of people to charge overnight at 5p and sell during the day at 30p is a very viable concept. Factories and offices could add this to employees contract options to earn whilst they work too.
    I couldn’t practically use an EV at the moment, but once range goes beyond a realistic and not slow 250 miles I will be in the game and looking to use PV and batteries to do exactly this.

  3. good!

    EV’s should not be considered an option as a relief to the grid when the grid itself needs adapting and upgrading, not patching over a problem in the short term as this would be seen as.

    all that this will lead to is another saturation of the market where aggregators will distort costs/payments like they did to TRIAD, STOR and the CM

  4. I am not sure whether the Nissan/ENEL figure of EUR 1,300 per year is per van or in total for a set of 10 vans. Either way, the income seems to be for frequency response.

    Demand for frequency response is not infinitely expandable, so if we are to have lots of EVs and if they really can deliver frequency response efficiently, then the price of frequency response will be driven down to cost (of control gear and EV battery wear) leaving not much profit — and therefore normal people not bothering with it even if the inconvenience is mild. Also, grid-scale batteries, demand response or some other technologies might eat the whole frequency response lunch. Is the situation very different for other services from storage? If not, Lord Redesdale will end up being right even if his current reasons are not.

    Or https://dcmf.co.uk/hector-2017-11-28.html

  5. Lord Redesdale should read Power to the People by Vijay Vaitheeswaran. I went to the book launch speech in London in 2004 and when you read it, EV grid balancing just makes sense. Vijay saw what was coming long before others.

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